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love_bookswillbetheendofme's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
allygator's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was such a unique Peter Pan adaptation. Aiden Thomas is a genius for making such a classic story into a YA horror/mystery -- it works so well. I couldn't put this down, it was so engaging and fast-paced and I was so invested in how the story was going to end. I loved the characters, and I was so tense trying to figure out what was happening to them. I was so nervous to pick this up after loving Cemetery Boys so much, but I was not disappointed. This has definitely cemented Thomas as an auto-buy author for me, and I can't wait to read what he puts out next.
I loved how well this book touched on trauma and PTSD, it felt very authentic and it made Wendy a much more compelling character than she was in the original story. I wasn't sure how much I would love her romance with Peter, but it wasn't overwhelming in the story and I honestly kind of enjoyed it. The trauma within Wendy's parents was really well-written and had me crying at some points.When Peter speaks to Mrs. Darling in John and Michael's voices when she sleep talks??? I had a whole crisis.
I also really enjoyed Jordan's character, though I wish she had more page time. In general, this was a lot less diverse than Thomas' debut, but it didn't really detract from the story for me. The ending had me shaking it was so good, it was so bold and scary because it definitely could happen in today's world.
All in all, this was such a good retelling; I highly recommend picking it up.
I loved how well this book touched on trauma and PTSD, it felt very authentic and it made Wendy a much more compelling character than she was in the original story. I wasn't sure how much I would love her romance with Peter, but it wasn't overwhelming in the story and I honestly kind of enjoyed it. The trauma within Wendy's parents was really well-written and had me crying at some points.
I also really enjoyed Jordan's character, though I wish she had more page time. In general, this was a lot less diverse than Thomas' debut, but it didn't really detract from the story for me. The ending had me shaking it was so good, it was so bold and scary because it definitely could happen in today's world.
All in all, this was such a good retelling; I highly recommend picking it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, Child death, Death, Grief, Murder, Blood, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Car accident, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
ruthie__reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Gun violence and Mental illness
Minor: Animal death and Car accident
ang_mendoza's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I found it a bit surprising that Aiden Thomas failed to make this book at all diverse. With the exception of a few side-characters, all the characters are White and cishet as far as canon goes. Most of the book feels like a standard enough retelling but I'll say I really liked the ending. I don't think this is the only version of Peter Pan to do this, but I loved the reveal that Peter is like a grim reaper for kids. His relationship with Wendy was pretty well written but there is some inherent weirdness to it and some unclarity abiut how that caused everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Death, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcohol and Blood
Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Confinement
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Kidnapping, Child death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Alcohol, and Violence
Minor: Medical content, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
lisa_m's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I didn't know much about this book before reading it. I didn't even realise that it is a Peter Pan retelling.
I'm glad that I didn't know that before though because I have read the Original last year and didn't really like it. But this book was really good! It is a quite dark retelling of Peter Pan and Wendy is a grown up in this one (well ..she is 18).
The story was really immersive and I didn't want to stop reading. It is also a kind of mystery because you learn throughout the book what really happens to children and what happened to Wendy and her brothers all those years ago.
It is a quite gruesome story but I liked that twist to this children's tale.
I definitely want to read more books by this author!
My biggest problem with this story was the romance aspect of it. Don't get me wrong, I actually quite liked Peter in this book (I didn't like him in the Original), but having him fall in love with Wendy just seemed so strange.
I mean yeah he is technically way older than her and his body is also aging during their time together but he is still so childlike and idk it just felt really weird.
What I did like though was the twist to Peter's story. Him being a guide to murdered children is actually quite interesting. It explains his story so much better. He is compassionate and helps them move on. I liked this Death version of him.
All in all I would definitely recommend this book! Even if you don't particularly like the story of Peter Pan like me, you might still like this book. Also if you like mystery mixed with paranormal stuff this is for you :)
I'm glad that I didn't know that before though because I have read the Original last year and didn't really like it. But this book was really good! It is a quite dark retelling of Peter Pan and Wendy is a grown up in this one (well ..she is 18).
The story was really immersive and I didn't want to stop reading. It is also a kind of mystery because you learn throughout the book what really happens to children and what happened to Wendy and her brothers all those years ago.
It is a quite gruesome story but I liked that twist to this children's tale.
I definitely want to read more books by this author!
My biggest problem with this story was the romance aspect of it. Don't get me wrong, I actually quite liked Peter in this book (I didn't like him in the Original), but having him fall in love with Wendy just seemed so strange.
I mean yeah he is technically way older than her and his body is also aging during their time together but he is still so childlike and idk it just felt really weird.
What I did like though was the twist to Peter's story. Him being a guide to murdered children is actually quite interesting. It explains his story so much better. He is compassionate and helps them move on. I liked this Death version of him.
All in all I would definitely recommend this book! Even if you don't particularly like the story of Peter Pan like me, you might still like this book. Also if you like mystery mixed with paranormal stuff this is for you :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Car accident, Death, and Murder
btrz7's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
I thought a Peter Pan retelling would be just the thing for me, but unfortunately it turns out I was wrong in this instance.
There isn't much I can say about this book. Like, it felt so bland? It was something I meant to read in one sitting and ended up dragging for days. Mostly I think everything feels very superficial. Also, I like books in the YA range, but I guess this one felt like it was for a much younger audience and that didn't help my enjoyment of it.
What I did like was the concept behind Neverland as it exists in this book, but like everything else it doesn't feel very explored and I don't think it reached the potential I thought it had.
Overall I'd say about 2.5 stars rating, rounded down for the time being. I am still curious about Cemetery Boys and will check it out.
There isn't much I can say about this book. Like, it felt so bland? It was something I meant to read in one sitting and ended up dragging for days. Mostly I think everything feels very superficial. Also, I like books in the YA range, but I guess this one felt like it was for a much younger audience and that didn't help my enjoyment of it.
What I did like was the concept behind Neverland as it exists in this book, but like everything else it doesn't feel very explored and I don't think it reached the potential I thought it had.
Overall I'd say about 2.5 stars rating, rounded down for the time being. I am still curious about Cemetery Boys and will check it out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Kidnapping, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Car accident
cemeterygay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I need to preface this review by saying if you go into this book expecting a fun Peter Pan retelling or a similar tone to Cemetery Boys, you will be deeply disappointed. It's also not heavily focused on the fantasy element so don't expect that.
This book is a beautiful examination of grief and childhood trauma in a way that not many books are able to do. I will say it is more of a follow-up to Peter Pan than really a Peter Pan retelling.
I think Thomas does a brilliant job of portraying the emotional isolation and disconnect that can occur after facing trauma at an incredibly young age and while for some readers that may be hard to connect to, it felt painfully relatable and real to my experiences. I found Wendy's relationship with her family and her friend Jordan to be incredibly interesting. I did like seeing how different family members reacted to Wendy's brothers' disappearances and how they each dealt with grief. I think this book also dealt with the guilt that comes, whether or not you're responsible, after the loss of a loved one or someone you knew well.
I think Peter's childishness is a nice contrast to Wendy's more detached attitude and it really serves to highlight how much Wendy has changed over the years since Peter's first visit.
As per usual, Aiden Thomas's writing style is phenomenal and I think works incredibly well with this particular story. I also adored the ending and epilogue for this book which is something I can't say too often.
This book is a beautiful examination of grief and childhood trauma in a way that not many books are able to do. I will say it is more of a follow-up to Peter Pan than really a Peter Pan retelling.
I think Thomas does a brilliant job of portraying the emotional isolation and disconnect that can occur after facing trauma at an incredibly young age and while for some readers that may be hard to connect to, it felt painfully relatable and real to my experiences. I found Wendy's relationship with her family and her friend Jordan to be incredibly interesting. I did like seeing how different family members reacted to Wendy's brothers' disappearances and how they each dealt with grief. I think this book also dealt with the guilt that comes, whether or not you're responsible, after the loss of a loved one or someone you knew well.
I think Peter's childishness is a nice contrast to Wendy's more detached attitude and it really serves to highlight how much Wendy has changed over the years since Peter's first visit.
As per usual, Aiden Thomas's writing style is phenomenal and I think works incredibly well with this particular story. I also adored the ending and epilogue for this book which is something I can't say too often.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Car accident
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Child abuse
emily_mh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The ending of this book is what saves it. I was going to rate this read two stars before the resolution came about and I saw what Thomas was trying to do with the story. But for the most part, I didn't really enjoy reading this book. The pacing was not it - there was no sense of mystery, tension or urgency despite the high stakes because those stakes were relegated to the background. Most of the plot ended up being Peter and Wendy essentially going on dates. Yet I couldn't feel invested in the romance because Peter is this kind of immortal being and Wendy is 18. Finally, I thought that the book lacked the magic and whimsy which made the original story so memorable.
But like I said, the ending saved this book. It provided a satisfying resolution. Apart from this I also liked Wendy as a narrator and I enjoyed the detail Thomas put into their description. I'm still going to keep reading their books as they always have intriguing and original premises, I just hope I can click more with their books in the future!
But like I said, the ending saved this book. It provided a satisfying resolution. Apart from this I also liked Wendy as a narrator and I enjoyed the detail Thomas put into their description. I'm still going to keep reading their books as they always have intriguing and original premises, I just hope I can click more with their books in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Car accident, Medical content, Child death, Death, Blood, Gun violence, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Vomit, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Confinement, and Torture
rini's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love Aiden Thomas' work and Avi Roque is such an excellent narrator!
This book had all the feels and the big reveal near the end really came as a shock and... I'm still processing it really.
This book had all the feels and the big reveal near the end really came as a shock and... I'm still processing it really.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Body horror, Car accident, and Gun violence
Minor: Abandonment and Alcoholism